Fastening device for vehicle-tops



H. T. WITTICH. FASTENING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE TUPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I. I9I8.

Patented Aug.' 10, .1920.

:News

HENRY T. WITTICH,

PATENT OFFlCE.

OF ASHTABULA, OHIO.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE-TOPS.

Application filed August 31, 1918.

To @ZZ 't0/0m @'25 may Concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. Wrrrrcrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ashtabula, county of Ashtabula, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fastening Devices for Vehicle-Tops, of which the following is aV specification, the principle of the inven- -tion being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying' that principle, so as to' distinguish it from other inventions.

The" fastening device of present interest is more especially designed for attaching the forward more or less horizontally eX- tending bow of an automobile top to the windshield frame, or to the special standard rising from the vehicle body, as sometimes provided alongside the wind-shield frame proper. This mode of attachment is obviously preferable to the long straps and the like which were formerly used tovtie down the front ends of such tops, the object of the present invention being to provide a device of the sort just ydescribed that will be simple in operation and inexpensive in its construction.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting` however, but one of various forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In saidV annexed drawing Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of foldable topy of the kind hereinbefore referred to, shown in its extended position and partly broken away in order to illustrate my improved device in place'thereon; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of such device; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4;-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a detail, the plane kof such section being indicated by the line 5 5, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a modification in construction.

The construction of the top of course is a matter of indifference so far as the opera- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

serial No. 252,256.

tion of my improved fastening device is concerned, the one illustrated being the commercial form of so-called one man7 top characterized by having a forwardly inclined main bow 1 that is pivotally attached to the vehicle body 2 adjacent to the rear seat thereof, where such body is two seated as shown. A rearwardly inclined main bow 3 is pivctally attached to such first-named main bow near the point where it is thus attached to the vehicle body, and a jointed outrigger bow 4 likewise pivotally attached to such first-named bow, extends forwardly in a more or less horizontal direction over kthe front seat of the body in the open condition of the top illustrated in Fig. 1. An intermediate bow 5 carried by the Outrigger bow serves to support the top material 6 in- Atermediate between the forward portion or Outrigger' bow proper and the main bow 1. v Rising from the dash or cowl 7 are two posts or standards 8, which may, as in the construction illustrated, form the side members of the wind-shield frame, or be independent supports, as desired, the upper ends of these standards being so disposed as to lie just within the transverse portion 9 of the Outrigger' bow 4 in such open condition of the top. The upper ends of these standards are in the ferm of cylindrical studs 10, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, having their upper ends reduced so as to leave a shoulder or collar 11.

Attached to the inside of the bow, so as to register with each such stud, is a bracket 12 formed out of a unitary sheet metal stamping, said bracket comprising two similar parts bent back upon themselves, leaving va round aperture 13 at the outer end of the bracket of the proper diameter to snugly fit around the reduced end of the corresponding stud. The inner ends of the bracket parts spread in opposite directions to bear against the face of the bow 9, to which they-are attached by screws or like suitable means.

Intermediate between the inner end and the outer apertured end of the bracket, the component parts of the stamping are formed with longitudinally extending recesses 14, preferably formed by depressions that provide corresponding strengthening ribs 15 on the outer sides of such parts. In such recesses, one end of a fiat spring 16 is securely held by a rivet 17 passing through the complementary portions of the stamping and such spring end, as shown in Figs. 3 and t.V In place of such rivet the parts in question may be spot-welded together if` desired. rIhe outer end of spring 16 is in the form of an S with its intermediate portion lying transversely of the bracket and in position to bear against the upper end of the stud 10, slots 18 being formed in the respective sides of the bracket stamping to'permit the curved portions of the spring to project without the same. The face of the stud at the point `where the" spring thus contacts with-the same is preferably recessed transversely at 1 9'so as to allow such spring to have interlocking engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 5, but by pressing the outer-end of the spring inwardly, z'. e., toward the base of the bracket, the'stud will be disengaged from Vthe fasteningdevice, and the bow 9 to which the latter is attached may be tilted upwardly away from the stud. Y

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 6 the upper edge of the recess 20 thus provided in the stud for engagement i serving to form'the grooves 14 and the slots V18.v To assemble the device, then, it is merely necessary to bend the two complementary parts of the stamping into contact, withthe spring in place, and thereupon rivet or spotweld such vparts together. Operatively, the device fulfils all requirements for a fastenin between a vehicle, or like top, and a sup- D port such as a wind-shield.

Other modes of applying thel principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed,

provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention z*- 1. In a device of the character described, .the combination of a stud, a bracket consisting of a unitary sheet-metal stamping bent upon itself and forming an opening at its outer end adapted to t over such stud; and a spring secured at one end between the parts of such stampingand bent to normally intersect such opening.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a stud, a bracket consisting of a unitary sheet-metal stamping bent upon itself and forming an opening at its outer end adapted to fit over such stud; and an S-shaped spring secured at one end between the parts of such stamping and bent to normally intersect such opening.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a stud formed with a transverse recessya bracket in the form of a unitary sheet-metal stamping comprising two complementary parts bent together and Y forming an opening at its outer end adapted to iit over such'stud, such parts being slotted adjacent such opening; and a recurved spring secured at one end betweenV such parts and Ylying' in the slots therein so as normally to y intersectV such opening and engage the recess in said stud. Y

1. In a device lof the character described, the combination of a stud rformed with a transverse recess; a bracket in the form of a unitary sheet-metal stamping comprising 'two complementary parts bent together kand formingan opening at vits outer end adapted HENRY T. "WITTIOII 

